A Study on the Effect of Scaffolding through Joint Construction Tasks on the Writing Composition of EFL Learners

A. Majid Hayati, Zohreh Ziyaeimehr

Abstract

The present study is an attempt to investigate the effect of scaffolding writing proficiency through joint construction tasks on the writing composition of Iranian EFL learners and to investigate any significant difference in the writing proficiency of the girls and boys after receiving the instruction. To this end, sixty intermediate learners of English, majoring in Literature and Translation, studying at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz participated in the research and then were randomly divided into two groups, the experimental and the comparison. During the course of this study, i.e. 10 sessions, the participants were assigned to write compositions of about 150 words on eight writing topics. To find out whether there is any significant difference in the writing proficiency of the learners who receive join construction instruction, two tests were used to compare the writing performances of the groups: a pretest prior and a posttest. Results of the Data analysis indicated that there is a significant difference in the writing proficiency of the learners who receive join construction instruction. The results also showed that, as far as the instruction on joint construction was concerned, females outperformed the males. Key words: Scaffolding; Joint Construction Task; Composition; Writing

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